ABSTRACT

Much has been written recently on the emergence of Australia as a successful

football nationdone that competes on the international stagedand a true

member of the world game. The euphoria of the days which immediately

followed the memorable penalty shootout on November 16, 2005, that

resulted in the Socceroos qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup for the

first time since 1974 had, for many, finally erased a long history of political

infighting, rumour mongering, alleged illegalities and gross mismanagement

that had denied the emergence of Australia as a true football nation for many

years. As Fink (2007, page XIV) pointed out, the importance was monu-

mental: ‘‘We’d done it. We’d finally made it to the FIFA World Cup, the

biggest sporting event on earth, after 32 excruciating years. Nineteen

seventy-four was a long time ago. It was another time.’’ Australia’s partici-

pation in the World Cup in Germany in 2006, the creation of the A League in

2005-2006 and the entry into the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) all

promise a brighter future for the game. In addition, the rapid rise of the

women’s game and the concurrent successes of the Matildas on the world

stage add to the positioning of Australia as an emerging nation in the game.